Leader A (Maxwell Martins) Rating 8.
Leader A is an organized leader with exceptional time management skills taking the exact time assigned to every activity. The leader ensured that activities that needed to be accomplished were done, without any side shows. Martins had developed a priority matrix, indicating tasks that needed more attention and those that were less important. The recreation activity was for a period of one week, thus the need to mention all the activities that were to be performed during the entire week. Martins developed a schedule, which showcased that his time management skills were exceptional (Kouzes & Posner, 2012).
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The table enabled martins to come up with a list of activities, and the team was to accomplish for team building and bonding and prioritize them in order of most important to least important. According to the list, motivational activities were the most important followed by teamwork and organizational skills. According to his explanations, it was crucial to ensure that the group recreational outing secured the team members were motivated, could work well in a group and had improved their organizational skills (Rath & Conchie, 2009).
Martins’ power to delegate duties was incredible. It clearly showed that he trusted his team members, hence the ability to complete planned activities within the set time. I realized that Martin knew the weaknesses and strengths of the team members thus he allocated the activities depending on the information. It gave him time to handle the high-level tasks with easiness. In addition, Martins was very evaluative in the events that occurred during the recreational period. He was able of evaluating the mentioned activities and even changes them if there was a need. It clearly showed his level of flexibility and ability to adapt to change (Rath & Conchie, 2009).
His weaknesses
Martin’s main weakness was the inability to use the available resources adequately. He was responsible for developing a budget for the entire week of recreation for his team, but in the end he requested for more cash from his office due to the deficit they had. Another weakness that was common in his leadership skills included the inability to communicate well with other team members. He was not ready to receive many questions from the team members that wanted more direction. As a leader, it is important to have excellent communication skills that can make you a good listener and have the willingness to understand the requirements of other members. Martins’ was a very authoritative leader, with ability to give more orders and poor listening skills (Kouzes & Posner, 2012).
Leader B. (Preston Michaels) Rating 7
Michael’s ability to handle the group members both individually and as a group was exceptional. She was very proactive, with the capacity to master the environment they were in with a lot of ease. Within a period of five hours, at the hotel, she was conversant with the names of the people that were attending to the team. She knew where to find them, in case of emergency, skills that are rare to find. Michaels’ flexibility to adapt to a new environment and even deal with uncomfortable situations was commendable. She could detect a problem long before any other member realized it and came up with a strategy to solve the problem.
Michaels’ main strong point was good communication skills. She was a good listener, especially to new ideas being raised by the other team members. She understood the needs of the team members and if, in need of a clarification, she asked questions without tiring. She was ready to analyze all existing options with consciousness and chose the right direction. Michaels’’ also treated the other members with respect and humility (Rath & Conchie, 2009).
Michaels’ poor leadership skills involved inadequate organizational and time-management skills. The activities she had planned for the recreational event of four days were not accomplished because others took longer than expected. She wanted to do everything by herself, which made the process very tiring. If she could have allocated other duties to the team members and remained strict on time, then it could have been easier for her to accomplish set goals (Rath & Conchie, 2009).
She also lacked conflict solving skills. There was a conflict between two team members on where each was to settle in a hotel. Everyone was claiming to stay in one particular room. The confrontations between the two took a lot of time. Such a situation could not have been allowed in those settings, where people had come not only to refresh their minds but to bond and encourage team building. Conflict resolution is very crucial for a leader handling a team because conflicts will automatically arise. A leader should be in a position to address the issues without seeking help from the seniors. Michaels had to solicit help from a more senior manager, which calmed the situation down. If the manager were not around, then things could have gotten out of hand (Kouzes & Posner, 2012).
The main weakness portrayed by Martins and Michaels was their inability fully to utilize the materials and equipments available on site. The place they conducted their recreational activities had many materials and tools that were not even used for one activity. It was a sign that the leaders had not received training on what activities they were required to create in order to utilize the materials and equipment.
- Kouzes, J. & Posner, B. (2012). ‘The Leadership Challenge’. 5th edition, New York: Jossey-Bass publishers.
- Rath, T. & Conchie, B. (2009). ‘Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams and Why people follow’. 4th edition, New York: Harvard University Press.
